Apps Tips for promoting a kids app?

[casimps1]

Hi everyone!

I recently released an app called Kiduoso - First Words. It's a flashcard-style app with text, images, and audio designed to teach young children their first words. Its killer feature (IMHO) is the ability to leverage your device's camera and microphone to create your own flashcards.

All told, I spent about 4-5 months full-time developing and polishing the product. It's now been in the wild for about 2 weeks and the response has been disappointing to say the least. Had hoped to do this sort of thing as a self-employed career, but seeing no return on my investment and my bank account steadily dwindling to zero is incredibly disheartening.

Anyway, I really do think I have a viable product (feel free to tell me I'm delusional) and that I just need to get it in front of the right people. Unfortunately, most of the promotion tips I've seen seem to be geared toward games and reaching audiences that I'm not interested in.

Anybody have any specific tips for how to get this app in front of the right people? (ie - in my case, parents of preschoolers)

 

[amaratgan]

Hi casimps1,

I am researching app promotion myself as I could only guess what strategy to take for my idea.

My initial thoughts would be to contact magazines and websites that your potential users might be exposed to. You might get a feature on your app or at least a mention and a link to download it.

I personally don't browse app hubs for something I might want very often and come across things by word of mouth in the main so I think 2 weeks is ambitious to expect any significant response.

I would also look into paying a fee to facebook as I hear they are good at finding the target audience for services.
Much as I hate cold calling and junk I would even go as far as contacting private nurseries in some form or another to let them know about your app.

If it's a decent app it will spread quickly, that's the way I see it

Now I have to convince my coder to build this app idea of mine with me!

Best of luck and don't lose faith .

 

[Geoff Jackson]

Hi. I'm totally new to android apps and want to make a language flashcard app. Could give me any tips or code to help. Best wishes. Geoff

 

[arthisoft]

Hi everyone!

I recently released an app called Kiduoso - First Words. It's a flashcard-style app with text, images, and audio designed to teach young children their first words. Its killer feature (IMHO) is the ability to leverage your device's camera and microphone to create your own flashcards.

All told, I spent about 4-5 months full-time developing and polishing the product. It's now been in the wild for about 2 weeks and the response has been disappointing to say the least. Had hoped to do this sort of thing as a self-employed career, but seeing no return on my investment and my bank account steadily dwindling to zero is incredibly disheartening.

Anyway, I really do think I have a viable product (feel free to tell me I'm delusional) and that I just need to get it in front of the right people. Unfortunately, most of the promotion tips I've seen seem to be geared toward games and reaching audiences that I'm not interested in.

Anybody have any specific tips for how to get this app in front of the right people? (ie - in my case, parents of preschoolers)

Hey friend, here is small list that i believe you should follow

Consider Alterative App Stores
Create a Demo Video
Join Developers & Entrepreneurs Groups on Social Media
Feature the App in an Official Blog
Banners
Press Releases
Share your game in your professional pages

 

[sourodip9]

Hello friend, you can try App Store Optimization (ASO), it will certainly give you good visibility to your app.

 

[23tony]

Hi everyone!

I recently released an app called Kiduoso - First Words. It's a flashcard-style app with text, images, and audio designed to teach young children their first words. Its killer feature (IMHO) is the ability to leverage your device's camera and microphone to create your own flashcards.

<...>

Anybody have any specific tips for how to get this app in front of the right people? (ie - in my case, parents of preschoolers)

You definitely want to keep your approach highly targeted - although don't rule out grandparents too!

It may be a bit late for this, but I would have started off by contacting some local preschools for potential beta testers, and build up a small base from that. Even being in public release, that still might be worth considering.

I think starting local is going to be your best bet. Check out your local radio programming, especially talk radio or religious programming - there might be some local hosts willing to mention or even talk to you about your app. Look for local magazines; here in Raleigh, we have one called "Carolina Parents" that might be interested in an app for children created by a local developer. Play up the local angle. Really small hyper-local newspapers might be interested in a press release or a small 1-2 paragraph blurb.

If you have a bigger budget, maybe sponsor some PBS children's programming for that age range, and/or look into local cable advertising. Those are quite a bit more expensive options but they get you right in front of the right audience. And frankly, you might be surprised how inexpensive they actually are (people tend to way overestimate local cable costs)

Get a solid base locally, then start pushing outward. City, County, State, etc.. Find a way to offer some sort of incentive referral program (i.e. ad-free for a month)

And after having checked your app store page, I see you're local to Raleigh. PM me and we can discuss more specific details that might not be of as much interest to a general audience. If you want to look at the cable ads I know some resources for that, too.

 

[23tony]

And I'm going to be installing this for my 3-year old granddaughter!